I've Become Rich And I Want Revenge

06. Long live the enemies!

Dean and Brittany exchanged nervous glances, but without daring to challenge Leon, they walked down to the center of the court. Still on her knees, the former principal looked at them with a mixture of despair and restrained anger.

Leon walked around them, his footsteps echoing in the tense silence of the gym. He looked straight into

Dean and Brittany's eyes, staring at each of them like a predator analyzing its prey.

"Well, look at that. Look at those little faces. Such different expressions! I could have sworn that less than a few minutes ago, they were laughing at me. Laughing, actually."

Brittany wasn't looking at Leon. Dean, on the other hand, stared at him seriously.

"Not just in the last few minutes, but in the last few years too," he continued. "Not only did you beat me up and steal my money, but you also encouraged others to disturb me too. And you pretended to be my friend, you pretended to love me, but you stabbed me in the back when you had the chance."

Leon stopped in front of Dean, fixing his penetrating gaze on the boy. Brittany kept her head down, visibly uncomfortable.

"I'm a man of principle, Dean," said Leon, his serious tone cutting through the silence. "And I believe that people can change, can redeem themselves. So here's your chance."

Leon stepped back a little, speaking without the microphone close to his lips this time.

"You two are now part of this new order. An order that values merit, not cruelty. If you want to stay here, you'll have to follow the rules. No bullying, no humiliation."

Brittany swallowed, while Dean nodded and, to her surprise, smiled:

"Really? Now that you're rich, you think you're better than me? Or that you have any real power here?"

Leon's expression was impassive.

"You've been my favorite target for three years, man. Do you think that's going to change now that you're no longer a miserable sod who got in because of quotas? You think that's going to change the fact that you were born in the gutter?"

Dean took a step forward, aggressive and willing to physically hurt. Juan took a step forward, but stopped when he saw the look on his son's face. Then Leon asked:

"Is that all you have to say?"

"No. That's not all I have to say. Your girlfriend always gossiped terribly about you. Remember the rumors that you had a horrible, contagious disease? She started it. She was also the one who spread the word that your father was a drug dealer, that your grandparents smelled of garbage, and also-"

Brittany interrupted him:

"Dean, that's enough."

"Really? Your creep of an ex-boyfriend thinks he's in charge here, in charge of this school, and you're just going to stand there? You're not going to put him in his place?"

The girl cringed even more:

"Don't make it any worse."

Dean laughed scornfully.

"You're going to side with that loser? Just because he's got a little extra money now?"

She stared at him with dread in her eyes, but not for Dean, but for Leon.

"The principal of the school is on her knees in her own damn gymnasium because he wanted her to! You heard what he said. Keep quiet and stop making things worse."

"You're a weakling just like him, that's what you are."

"I take it you're done arguing," Leon finally said.

Before Dean could respond and hurl more insults, the boy turned back to the stands and spoke into the microphone:

"I tried to be merciful. It obviously didn't work. So here's what I'll do."

Everyone was apprehensive. Leon stared at Dean:

"I think you'll be happy, Dean, to know that I won't be expelling you from school, unlike Mrs. Parker. However, your father wasn't very happy when I bought most of the shares in his company."

The bully became enraged:

"What did you say?"

"What didn't you understand? Your father isn't as rich as he used to be. He works for me now, in fact, since I own most of the assets."

"He would never do that, you lying bastard."

"No? Why don't you call him later today and ask for more details, then?"

Dean was incredulous, his expression of defiance now replaced by a mixture of anger and disbelief. Leon continued, looking straight into the boy's eyes:

"You see, Dean, you're no longer the only one who likes to play with power. I learned very quickly how this game is played. Your father chose the winning side, and now he's on my side."

The gym was enveloped in a stunned silence. All eyes were on Leon, and Dean realized that his position was crumbling before his eyes.

"Don't think you can threaten me, Alvarez," he growled, but the confidence in his voice had diminished considerably.

"It's not a threat. It's a fact. Your father works for me, and by extension, so do you. You're about to turn eighteen, aren't you? You were going to be given a brilliant position, working alongside your father as deputy head. Now you're my employee. And I think you'd better be competent. I don't have time to waste on useless people."

The fury on Dean's face was one of the most satisfying expressions Leon had ever seen.

Then he turned to his ex-girlfriend.

"And now, my dear, I'm going to tell you what I have in store for you."